The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-04-07
A Grandfather For Sale,

know as we'll as l do that the social
guinea-here in Boston. of all places
must be stamped before it will go into
circulation. Society strongly resembles
retail trade in this one particular. Let
me offer lump of the purest gold to
any small dealer as payment for the
goods have bought of him, and he
would at once say he'd rather have the
dirtiest bank-note in town than my I'M
stamped metal; wouldn't hep"
well, l suppose he would. If we
were in more primitive state of exis-
tence the yellow metal, as it came from
mother earth, would satisfy our greed.
Now it has to be vouched for as gold
before it can take its proper position
among the other circulating mediums. :"
Exactly so! And as we are not in
primative state, but very highly
cultured one, /. for example, need to
have stamp before l can pass muster.
All the wealth my Midas of a father
left to me Will not take me more than
Just so far; yet dress according to the
laws of to-day, don't eat with my
knife, l know how to raise my hat to a
lady; in short, flatter myself that l
make fairly good appearance. But l
have no grand father worth speaking
of" And though there was mock
pathos in his tone, Maxwell Jennings
meant more of what he said than he
| would have been willing his companion
should suspect
Edgar Cabot glanced at him a little
contemptuously; then he allowed his
| ewes to wander enviously around the
| luxurious appointments of Maxwell's
| rooms. Everything bespoke an abund-
ance of both money and taste on the
part of the one who resided there. A
casual observer would never have sup
! uosed that man who could appreciate
ihe ell cravings and books which crowd
ed the walls and tables was a mush-
room of an hour. the son OF man who
had amassed large fortune by. the
manufacture of rum, and iudicious spec
ulations in stocks and mines. The mo-
ment that Tom Jennings business and
all other possessions fell into his SON S
hands. that young man sold the obnox-
ious distilleries and went abroad for
! three wears to finish the studies his faith
er had sent him there to begin. Old
Tom Jennings had the sense to know
that he could never aspire to any higher
position in life than the one he was born
into; but he was determined to make
Max a gentleman" and so far as cult
vation and study could do it, he sue
ceeded.
by Jupiter, Jennings, if had 1.-THE
of our money l wouldn't care plea
,une if l hadn't grandfather sighed
Cabot. whose bank account was as short
as his pedigree was long.
And | Cabot, would give hundred
thousand dollars this minute if had
one of your dignifed ancestors" Jen.
nings answered earnestly. ''Yes, I'd
give it gladly if | in any way could
claim a great-uncle or grandfather OF
motel
"A fellow has a perfect right to sell
what is individually his own, hasn't
hep asked Cabot, thoughtfully.
.'Of course he has"
Il, as everyone knows, am the last
Of my line of the Cabots. The births
in nv family this last hundred years
have been in inyerse proportion to the
deaths. There has been frightful
mortality among us. Ii die childless
as now seems probable-my divorced
wife being in dis gustingly robust health
there will be no one to pride himself
ON the dead-and-go gone Cabots, SO, Jenn
ines. I've a mind to sell them out tt
you. / am badly in want OF money
you think yourself-or, to be more ex
act. DIR. and Mrs. Randall think you
badly in want of ancestors. Wha
will YOU give me for, say old Colone
Cabot The one, you know, who wa
| killed in King Philips war;
What an absurd ideal" exclaimed
Jennings, with a laugh.
Not at all absurd. The old codge
is now mag great-uncle; if [ sell him tt
YOU, why, of course, he'll be yours
Or. if YOU don't like him, there's m,
grandfather, Judge Cabot-how will
he fill your bill? Now, Jennings, don
look so amused. ! assure you am il
dead earnest. l am 50 hard up I'd sci
my soul--much more such trifie as
rrandfather-for a hundred thousan
dollars.
Jennings knew that Cabot spoke tn
truth about his financial condition, and
being good-natured fellow, who wa
grateful to Cabot for several introduc
lions which he valued very highly
especially the one to the aforemention
ed Randalls, determined to help Cabo
out of his pecuniary quagmire by hu
. moring him in his ridiculous PROPOSE
ton.
Il declare, Cabot, if the thing wer
feasible I'd accept your offer with i'm
mense gratitude. But suppose shout
tell any one that Judge Cabot, belonge
! 10 me, who would believe me?'
IF you were to buy him of me you
give ME receipt for him, I suppose
Just as would give you receipt fo
the money you paid to me for him:
Certainly I should" answered Jer
nings. laughing at the idea OF givin
a receipt for an ancestor.
Then you could truthfully say ths
YOU had documentary evidence ths
i,Iudoc Cabot was an ancestor of goa
owu, and that would settle it. as
would be careful to say SO, too, fo
people rarely insist upon ones provin
that So-and-so is his kim; and if an.
body WAC still dubious you could
Justly ind gnaat hacause your word W.
doubted
II think if I buy one Of them
would like to have the other to kee
| him company; he might feel lonesom
| so entirely opt of his element. Wh'
will YOU take for the two?' asked Jel
nings, seriously.
Cabot looked tixedly at him for q
instant; then, seeing that he was
earnest. answered:
Il .'Oh, I'll not jew you in this trad
I'm be grateful if you will give me
hundred thousand for the two OF EN-
the old Colonel and the Judge"
; Are you sure that will satisfy Vol
Suppose say hundred and twent..
five for the two?'
ii THAT will suit me still better,
J course said Cabot, aloud. 10 hin
| self he added: "The fellow is biggt
] ..n..o, fhouohf HownVer h0 a.